Over
by kimeku
Summary: ShunsuiXNanao fanfic. It's a really short story. Chpt 1-5
1. Chapter 1

The words that he said were still lingering in the air. She could still feel the ringing sensation in her ears. The last words he said before closing the door and walking out of her life that instant. It felt like a dream, so surreal. She never imagined that he would have to say those words to her, like it was her fault that they had to break up. She was always pushing him away but the truth was that she couldn't bear to tell him her true emotions. Too many times he had been so kind to her and yet she felt like he was trying to take advantage. The little misunderstandings left unresolved which lead to the awkward silences. Perhaps she was right. She was to be blamed for their relationship to be torn apart. Even if the third party hadn't come into the picture, they might still have to go their separate ways.

The pain she felt was almost unbearable. It was as if the walls were caving in on her and she was trapped under the rubble. _So this was how a heart-break felt like. _The memories of the time spent with him felt just like yesterday. _Like the time they went to eat at the Korean restaurant, or the time when he gave her a ride on his motorbike. _There were times when she felt that he was so annoying yet at other times really kind and gentle. It would be the first and last time that she would see him get so angry that he left her and never returned today. She wasn't expecting him to show up at her house after all they hadn't been going out since the arrival of the new staff member, Yadomaru Lisa. That woman was also his _ex_.

"What are you doing here?" "I need to talk to you. Can I come in?" She hesitated for a second before stepping aside to let him enter. "I won't take up much of your time. I just want to clarify some things." She could tell the seriousness of the matter from the tone of his voice. "Alright, let me get something for you to drink. Please take a seat first." she said and disappeared into the kitchen. After a few minutes, she returned to the living room and placed a cup of coffee on the table in front of him. "So… what was it that you wanted to talk about?" she asked and sat at the opposite side of the table facing him.

He took a sip from the cup and said:"How have you been?" "Eh? I'm doing fine." "I see. That's good_." What's up with him? Asking me such a question and looking at me with that kind of eyes. It's like he's trying to search my soul for an answer, she thought. _After what seemed like eternity, he asked "What if I said that I would like to start over with Lisa again? Would you let me?" "Why do you say that? What kind of a question is that?" "I just want to know what your answer is." The earnestness in his voice flustered Nanao that she got up from her seat and started pacing around. "Well, I would not agree, if the two of you got back together." "Then," he stood up and made his way towards her. "Do you love me?" She stopped in her tracks the moment she heard those words.

_Do I? I've never questioned myself of my feelings for him before. Do I love him? _Her mind was still reeling when he repeated the question. When she looked at him, she saw anger in his eyes for the first time, and she was afraid. Frustrated because he couldn't get an answer, Shunsui picked up the cup and drank some coffee to calm his nerves. "Sorry… I'm sorry..." Upon hearing the words that he dreaded, he threw the cup against the wall in a fury. "Why did you apologize? That's not what I wanted to hear. Three words that's all I want." He said her. She was crouching in the corner of the room whimpering in fear. This wasn't the outcome he wanted from his visit. It pained him to see her cry but he was just anxious to know how she felt about him. "If I don't get an answer by the count of 10, it's over." He told her then proceeded to count. The pressure was mounting as the numbers grew smaller. "6… 5…" _Why is it so hard to say those three words? _"2… 1…" "It's over, Nanao. It's over." "Why must you do this to me? You are so cruel." She cried out. "Cruel? Me? It should be you rather than me. Why must I continue to be tormented by your silence? It has always been and will always be a one-sided love for us. And I don't think it will change." He said and headed towards the door. Before he closed it, he said those last words. "Goodbye Nanao. It's over."

She was left sitting on the floor with the broken pieces of the cup. The aroma of coffee filled the whole house and the remainder coffee splashed on the floor was slowly seeping into the rug. The smell lingered on into the night even after she had fallen asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The following week after the visit went by at snail's pace for Nanao. She couldn't focus during work and couldn't sleep well at night. She tried to avoid Shunsui as much as possible. Lunch was the only time she could relax, knowing that everyone would be out. Today she decided to eat at the ramen stall, at the corner of the street. As she was at the traffic junction waiting to cross, she saw a motorcyclist and his pillion rider zooming off along with the flow of vehicles. That scene evoked the memory of her incident with the motorcycle.

_*Flashback*_

He had offered her a ride home that day because it was late. At first, she opposed to the idea saying that it was dangerous. In actual fact, it was the thought of having to hug him that put her off. It was only after she felt the first drops of rain that she quickly changed her mind. After securing the buckle of his helmet under his chin, he started the motorbike and went on their way. She had held on to her knees for support but soon found it difficult to steady herself as the rain became heavier. When they stopped to wait at the traffic light, he turned to her. "Don't be so stubborn. Hold on to me. Don't worry Nanao, you will be safe. Trust me." he said and placed her hands around his waist. "Hold on tight ok?" "Ok." And their motorbike went off as soon as the light turned green.

The rain had obscured the vision of the taxi driver. At the last second he swerved his car and managed to avoid a major accident. Shunsui heard Nanao warning him about a taxi behind them so he quickly turned and hit the curb. Unfortunately, causing Nanao to lose her balance and fall onto the pavement. "Are you alright? I'm sorry... Are you hurt Nanao?" "I'm fine, just a few bruises." "We better get you to the doctor." He said and helped her up. "I'm really fine. I don't need to see a doctor. Besides, my house is just around the corner." She replied and started to walk. "Wait," he went in front of her and bent down saying "get on. I will carry you."

"What? No, no… it's alright. I will just walk." "Don't be silly, you're injured. Just get on, now." She gingerly climbed onto his back and for the rest of the journey he carried her. "We reached." he exclaimed and bent over to let her get down. "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble. Thank you for sending me home." "It's alright, rest well. I better make my way home now." He turned his heel and was ready to move when she called after him. "Wait! It's already so late and the rain doesn't look like it would stop any time soon. I could let you stay over tonight." she told him and opened the door. "Thanks for letting me put up at your house today. Sorry to disturb." He said as he entered the premises. "You have been so nice to me all this time. How can I make that up to you?" she asked. "You could help me by sitting down and letting me put salve on your wounds." he replied and took the first-aid kit from her hands and motioned her to sit on the next him.

"Alright, I'm done cleaning your cuts and bruises. Oh my… My back is really killing me. It must be because I carried you just now." "You're saying that I'm…" "No, no!! Of course not. Maybe it was because we were drenched and it made your weight heavier." After hearing that, she whacked him with a pillow. "What did you say? I dare you to say it again…" "Ah… ok, I'm sorry! It was a joke. I shouldn't have said that. Sorry." He apologized. "You should get cleaned up now, or else you might catch a cold." He told her. After emerging from the washroom, she said:"You can use the toilet now. But I don't have any spare clothes for you to change into. What do I do?" "It wouldn't be a problem for me, only if you don't mind having a topless man in your house." Nanao glared at him and he just smiled sheepishly before continuing.

"Do you have any great ideas?" "Wait a moment, I remembered something. Go ahead and wash up now, I will leave the clothes outside the toilet." and she headed into her room. "Are you done? Are you out yet?" she asked. "Yeah. I'm coming out now." He said and stepped out of the room. The moment she saw him in that outfit, she couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him. She had passed him a pair of pajamas worn by her grandmother previously. He was clearly embarrassed to be wearing such outlandish clothes. "Is this the best you have? It's so old and ill-fitting. And it's got a weird smell too." He complained. "Hey, that was my grandmother's clothes. Don't complain. I found it in the cupboard just now. And it hasn't been washed for a year that's why it smells." "Oh my… that's disgusting. I really don't want to wear that." As he was about to strip off his top he heard her say:"What are you doing?" "I'm _not_ going to wear those clothes I rather wear back my own clothes." "But it's still damp. You might get sick if you wear it."

"Oh, so now you don't mind?" he said with a mischievous grin. "Don't mind what?" "This." And in a swift motion he took off his top. She let out a gasp and quickly covered her eyes and turned her back towards him. He laughed and exclaimed:"You're so cute when you get embarrassed, Nanao-chan." "Stop calling me that. Please, put your shirt back on." She felt his hand on her shoulder as he spun her around to face him. "Why are you so scared? Afraid that I would eat you up?" he said teasingly. Her heart was racing and she kept looking at the floor. "Oh, you're blushing. That's so cute." He added and patted her head. "You want to know why I keep calling you Nanao-chan?" she looked up and nodded slowly."Because I always treat you like my cat. And your name is also cute for a cat. Nanao-nyan chan." He explained. Suddenly, he leaned in and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, Nanao-chan." He smiled and retreated back. "Uh… goodnight." She said and hurried into her bedroom.

The next day when she woke, she found a note left on the table. He had prepared a light meal for her which was sitting on the table. She smiled at the kind thought.

_*End of flashback*_

Beneath that wolf skin was actually a lamb. She smiled sadly as she replayed that memory. She also recalled why she had difficulty sleeping that night. Maybe she was thinking about his perfectly sculpted abs that time. She shook her head in disbelief and returned to reality being faced with a bowl of soggy ramen. _So much for daydreaming_. And she proceeded to eat her noodles and return to the office.


	3. Chapter 3

Although the week hadn't gone easy for Nanao, the same couldn't be said for Shunsui. When she saw him at work, it looked like nothing had changed for him. He was still the same as usual joking around with his friends and being reprimanded by the boss to get back to work. Or at least it was what she saw. He was also trying to come to terms with the recent break up. "Hey, it's Lisa here. Are you free tonight? Let's go out for dinner." asked the voice on the phone. "Oh, ok. Where do you want to go?" "I haven't thought of that yet. We will meet up at your place and decide later?" "Ok, sure. See you tonight." The phone clicked and the line went dead. With a small sigh, he slumped onto the sofa. He had a lot of things on his mind after that day.

Yadomaru Lisa had just joined the company a month ago. He was quite shocked to see her when she stepped into the building. They were previously together for about 6 months when he was working part-time at a bar. She was a regular there and they clicked really well because they had many similar tastes. He wondered what had caused their separation that time. _I think it was because she was too pushy .It was hard to accommodate her. _Exhausted by the waves of memories breaking over him, he closed his eyes and slowly drifted to sleep.

"Over here!" she cried out and waved at him from across the road. "Is this the place?" He said as he caught up with her. "Yeah, I've always wanted to try Korean cuisine. Let's go in." "Uh, yeah." He said as they entered the restaurant. As soon as their food was served they began tucking in. "Shunsui… say ah." "Huh? Oh..." after feeding him with the cabbage roll she said:"It's your turn now." He smiled and returned the gesture just as another wave of memory came in.

_*Flashback *_

"Open your mouth Nanao." "Eh? What?" "I'm feeding you silly. Say Ah." Blushing slightly she said:"Stop it. It's embarrassing. Everyone will see." Ignoring her he continued:"I'm waiting. Come on Nanao. My hand is tired." She finally gave up and let him feed her. "Is it good?" she nodded and blushed even harder when he told the restaurant owner about the feat he had accomplished. "Now, it's your turn to feed me." "What? No way, it's embarrassing." She waved her hand in front of her face. "It's not fair. Look here uncle! My wife doesn't want to feed me. How can she do this right? What do you say uncle?" he complained to the restaurant owner. "Wait… what do you mean wife? I'm not your wife!" she said. "Just feed him." The uncle replied. "He will stop once you do that." "Hear that? Just wrap the meat in the lettuce and feed me." She sighed and prepared to feed him. "Open up." "Ah…" and popped the food in his mouth. "Yeah, she finally fed me! I'm so happy." He laughed and clapped his hands happily like a child. Nanao giggled at the sight of him acting so childish. "You're so silly. You become so happy only after I fed you?" He nodded and replied:"Yes! The food will taste nicer when you do that." "Oh, really? Then I have no choice. Say Ah." She said and stretched out her hand to feed him again. His eyes lit up and he happily gobbled up the food.

_*End of flashback *_

He didn't mind having to act silly just so that he could make her smile and laugh. Whenever she was in a happy mood she had a child-like aura that drew him in. The sound of her laughter seemed to have some healing power which made his worries disappear. _But that is all in the past now, _he thought. Then it occurred to him that he might have treated her the same way Lisa did to him. _It's too late now. We can't turn back the time._ Just as they were leaving the restaurant, he caught sight of the owner who was staring at him. He smiled nervously before walking out the door. He didn't want to know what the uncle was thinking; maybe it wasn't a good idea to eat there anymore. The place just brought back memories. Those memories spent with the woman whom he vowed to protect and bring her happiness but had in the end broken it.


	4. Chapter 4

The streets were filled with all kinds of people at this time of the day. They were split into groups of students, middle-aged businessmen, the elderly and working-class adults like herself. The only difference was that most of them were in pairs and she was alone. It was almost 8pm but she wasn't in the mood to go home so early. She had decided to go for a drink tonight instead.

After her third glass of _sake_ she heard a voice saying:"Excuse me, miss. Is this seat taken?" and turned around to see an acquaintance. Ukitake Jushiro was a fellow business partner of her company. They had met on several occasions at the company's anniversary event. "Ukitake-san. You can take the seat. How are you?" she smiled. "I'm doing pretty well. Thanks for your concern. What about you?" "Me? I'm good." "I see. How's Shunsui doing? I haven't spoken to him in ages." "That person. Ah, I think he should be well off without me." She spat. There was a moment of silence as they drank for awhile before he spoke again. "How are you coping now?" She ordered another glass of sake before answering:"It's really alright. Besides, we weren't exactly an item." "What makes you say that?" She paused to think, "We didn't make our feelings known." "Feelings... I see." "Was he like that in school too?" "Huh? Let me think back. Hmm… he was quite a player. But none of his past relationships were serious. You were an exception." "How do you know?" "He had told me before. He said you were different from the rest." "Do you think I would believe a playboy's words?" she retorted. "Then how about the things he told you before? Did you not believe his words last time?" "That was different. That was when I… I loved him… but it's different now."

_I just said it. After all this time I was able to say it! But why couldn't I say it to him? I'm such a failure. _She thought. "I think I better get home now. Thanks for your company tonight." "I should send you back." "No, it's really alright." He shook his head and laughed:"You're still as stubborn as ever Nanao. Alright then, at least let me walk you out." She smiled and led the way out for them. "Thanks again. It was nice seeing you. Have a good evening Jushiro. Bye." "Bye." He watched her walk towards the traffic junction before turning the opposite direction towards the car park. Just as he was about to cross a small street he heard the loud screeching of tires and people screaming in shock. He quickly ran back to the spot where he left and saw a crowd gathering in the middle of the road. "Excuse me… make way please." He said as he pushed his way through the crowd. He panicked the moment he saw Nanao lying on the road. "Nanao! Nanao! Can you hear me? Nanao?" "I'm… ok." She said in a feeble voice. "Don't worry. I will bring you to the hospital now." He quickly asked a passerby to help him take care of her while he went to fetch his car and drove her to the nearest hospital.

"Excuse me. Are you the family or relative of Ise Nanao?" enquired the doctor who came out of the operating theatre. "I'm her mother. Is my daughter alright?" said the lady who had rushed to the hospital after receiving a call from the hospital. "The operation was a success. There were only a few minor cuts and bruises. She will be admitted for 3 days before we release her." The doctor explained. "Thank you. Thank you so much." The lady said tearfully before heading towards the ward her daughter was in. "Mother. How did you…" "Nanao. Thank god you are alright. I was so worried. Your friend told the hospital to call me and inform about you." "Oh, him. " "Alright, rest well dear. I will return tomorrow with breakfast." The older woman said and left.

"Hello?" "Shunsui? It's Jushiro here. Something's happened." "Jushiro? Ukitake Jushiro? Hey, how are you? We haven't talked for a long time." "Yeah, I know. But that's not important. Nanao was in an accident." It took some time for his brain to register what his old friend had just said. "Hey, are you still there? Nanao was hit by a car when she was crossing the road just now. She's in the hospital now." The words came out in a whisper."Is she hurt?" "Just come to the hospital tomorrow morning I will send you the address." Then the line went dead. His head was in a whirl as he tried to process the news. _What just happened? Why do I feel this strong atmosphere of guilt around? Was it my fault?_ Questions were flying around in his head causing him to have a headache. _Maybe it was a prank call. They just wanted to test his feelings._

When he switched on the television the next morning, he realized that it wasn't a prank call. There was a news report on a hit-and-run case that happened the night before. The police were investigating the matter. Although they did not show the victim, the description given by the other passerby matched Nanao. _Oh my god, it was true after all._ _What should I do? Would she want to see me? _He was left in a dilemma, _to go or not to go_.


	5. Chapter 5

The moment he stepped through the entrance, the smell of the hospital _(ointment/sanitizers –those types of smell)_ made him nauseous. _This is a bad idea; I shouldn't have come here in the first place. _"Excuse me Sir? Are you looking for someone?" asked the receptionist at the information counter. Before he could speak he heard someone calling him. "Shunsui? Is that you?" He turned around and saw his old friend, Ukitake Jushiro. "Hey, Jushiro. You're here. Where's she?" "She's in the ward. Come, let's go." "But… what if she doesn't want to see me?" Shunsui hesitated. "Don't worry. I'm sure she will be happy to see you. At least it shows her that you still care right?" replied Jushiro and he brought Shunsui upstairs to see Nanao.

"Good afternoon Nanao. How are you feeling today?" asked Jushiro. "Hey, I'm fine thank you." She replied and propped herself in the seating position on the bed. "Umm, there's someone here to see you." Jushiro said and ushered Shunsui inside. All of a sudden the atmosphere inside the room changed. "I will leave you two to talk now." Jushiro told them and left the room. Without speaking, Shunsui walked across the room and placed himself near the window next to the bed. After a long pause Nanao broke the silence by asking:"Why are you here?" For a moment Shunsui was at a loss for words. "To see you." "But why? Don't you have better things to do? Like taking care of your girlfriend." Nanao snapped. Shunsui was taken aback after hearing those words. He had never heard her speak in such a venomous tone before. He took a deep breath and exhaled before he replied: "Look, I'm really sorry about that day. I didn't mean to say those things." When he didn't hear an answer from her, he continued. "I just wanted to know how you felt about me. What do you think of me as? A friend? Colleague? Lover? What is it? I need to know if you are just as serious as me about this relationship." Nanao said:"I am serious. And I was all this time. It's just that… I can't trust you."

"Trust? What has that got to do with us? At least we were serious about it." He said. "Yes! It has everything to do with us! So what if we were serious? Trust is more important than that." She cried out to him. "So, all this while you didn't believe in me? You didn't trust me is that what you're trying to say?" he yelled. "Yes, I didn't! Ever since that incident with your motorbike. I shouldn't have trusted you when you said it was going to be alright. I shouldn't have trusted you when I let you into my house… I…" Her voice trembled as tears streamed down her cheeks and she began sobbing uncontrollably. Shunsui walked slowly towards her and sat down next to her. Slowly, he put his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace. "I'm sorry Nanao. I shouldn't have made things difficult for you. I'm sorry, it was stupid of me." He apologized. "_Baka… _I really _hate_ you…" she said in a small voice and pounded her fists on his chest. "Me too. I _hate_ you so much…" he said with a trace of laughter in his voice. After they pulled away he looked at her and asked:"Am I forgiven now?" "Yes." she replied and laughed. "So do you trust me now?" he said as he made a puppy dog face. She laughed even harder at the funny sight and nodded.

"So you really trust me now?" he added. Before she could answer he cupped her face in his hands and gave her a passionate kiss. Mid-way, the door opened and Jushiro walked in. "Oh my… I'm sorry. I'm I interrupting something here? He said. The couple pulled away in embarrassment. "Oh, nothing. Pretend you didn't see a thing ok?" Shunsui asked his friend. Jushiro laughed. "Well, at least things are back to normal now right? I brought bento for all of us. Come let's eat." He held up the carrier filled with food and joined the two of them.


End file.
